Coin-controlled lock



May 17,1927; w. J. DOBKIN com CONTROLLED LOCK Filed Dec. 1925 2Shanta-Sheet l INYENTOR [5W0 ATTORNEYS w a w in 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. J.DOBKIN COIN CONTROLLED LOCK Filed Dec; 21, 1925 INVENTOP 1 ZflJflobkzzzBY m (a ATTORNEYS Patented May 17, 1927.

WILLIAM J. DOBKIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

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1 Application filed December 21, 1925. Serial No. 76,859.

My invention relates to improvements in coin-controlled locks, and itconsists in the combinations, constructions, and arrange- .ments hereindescribed and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a coin-controlled lock whichconsists of a number of coacting parts for permitting the key to lockthe door of the locker to which the device is attached only after a coinhas been inserted in the lock. The lock is further provided with'novelmeans for permit tin the key to be turned into locked and unloc edposition as many times as desired previous to the removing of the keyfrom the lock. A further feature of the device lies in the means forblocking the coil en trance when the key is removed, this same meansalso actuating a stop which prevents the removal of the key and thelocking of the lock until a coin has been inserted in the lock. 1 a

A further object of m invention is to provide a coin-controlled lock inwhich the lock is provided with an indicator for showing the number oftimes the locker has been used, this indicator being operated only whenthe key is removed from the lock. The indicator further cooperates witha light for showing whether the locker is unlocked or locked.

A further object of my invention is to provide a coin-controlled lock inwhich novel means is provided for removably securing the lock casings inthe lockers, whereby the entire lock casing may be removed in case thekey to the casing is lost and a new look be substituted for the oneremoved.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

My invention is i lustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming partof this up plication, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of thedevice with the cover plate removed, and showing the lockin unlockedposition,

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showingthe lock in lockedposition,

a Figure 3 is a fragmentary view showing the arrangement of the partswhen the easing is turned without first placing a coin in the lock, 1

cel checking lockers in public places, such as dance halls, hotels,railway waiting rooms, drug stores, etc. .The cabinets are normally openand are usually arranged in tiers having four lockers in each tier. Oneof the locks is provided for each locker and is adapted to lock the door1 in closed position. The cabinet is preferably constructed of sheetmetal and this metal is bent into a U-shape, as shown in Figure 8, andthe open front of the cabinet is provided with ho].- low spaces 2. Inthe right hand hollow space, Idispose the locks, one look being providedfor each locker.

I will now describe the specific construction of the lock and referenceis made to Figures 1, 2 and 3. The lock comprises a body portion 3, acover plate 4 and a key actuated mechanism. The body portion 3 carries akey-receiving cylinder 5. The cylinder 5 is rotatably mounted in thebody portion 3 and carries an arm 6. The arm is moved when the cylinder5 is rocked by the key, and in turn moves a locking bolt 7. It will benoted that the bolt 7 has a notch 8 therein for loosely receiving a pin9 carried by the arm 6. This construction permits the cylinder 5 to berocked slightly before the pin 9 will move. the locking bolt 7 intolocked position. The purpose of this will be hereinafter set forth.

The arm 6 has a toothed qumfiraut 1 which meshes with a mutilated pinion11.. The quadrant 10 and the pinion 11 are pro-- vided for actuating anovel stop mechanism for the cylinder 5, an indicating mechanism, and acoin passage-closing member. The means for actuating the stop mechanism,the indicator mechanism, and for closing the coin passage consists of alever 12. This lever is pivotally secured to the body portion 3 at 13and is operatively connected to thepinion 11 by what I term a floatingspring. 'lhisspring has one of its ends secured to the lever 12 by a pin15 and has its other end secured to an arm lG'ot the pinion 11 by a pin17.

It should be noted at this point that the spring lt exerts a pressureupon thelever- 12 at a point which is almost at the dead center of thelever, for if the'pin 15 were lowered so as to be disposed in a linedrawn betweenthe pins 17 and 13, the force of the spring upon the lever12 would have no effect, since it would be exerted on the line of deadcenter. The spring14 therefore exerts a'sli'ght force. against the lever12.

This is, not true with the other end of the spring, because it "will benoted from Figure 1 that the spring 14 exerts a pressure against thepinion llsubstantially at right. angles to the deadcenter line of thepinion. A greater force .will therefore be exerted upon thepinion.;.th'an upon the lever 12. The lower end'180f the lever 12engages with :1 lug 19 carriedby a'istop, member 20 and tends toswingthe stop, member toward the arm 6. The arm is provided with a notch21 for receiving" the stop member 20"When no coin hasbeen inserted inthe lock, whereby the arm 1s prevented from further movement.

The spring. 1 1 causes the arm 6 to keep thestop 20in normal position.

The recess 8 permits the arm 6 to be moved 'sligh'tlyiwithout moving.the bolt,'and

this movement swings the arm 6 away from the stop member 20 andpermitsthe lever 12 to move the stop member 20 toward the' arm tobring-the upper edge 22 into engagementwith the notch .21. The cylinder5 is now preventedfrom-further rotation in aclockwise dlrectionwhenlooking at Figure has been removed. After the coin has been inserted.the key cylinder 5 may be rotated to the right, and this movementwillhswing the arm 6 into the position shown in Figure 2, and will' alsoswing the arm 16 into the position shown in Figure 2. The stop 20 abutsthecoin and permits this movement. This movement causes the floating.spring; to exert a pressure upon the arm 16 in directiori opposite .tothat which it formerly exertedf vInother words, the arm- 16 in Figure 1has. a tendency to swing in. a clockwise direction, due to the force'ot'the spring 14,:1nd

in Figure 2, has a tendency to swing in a counter-clockwise direction,due to the force of the same spring 1st. The spring therefore aids inmoving the parts into locked and unlocked position.

\Vhen the key has moved the bolt 7 into locked position, see Figure 2,the lever 12 will have a tendency to swing into the full line'pos ionshown in the figure, due to the force of the spring 14- in changedposition. A projection 26 carried by the lever 12 contacts with thecylinder 5 and prevents this movement. However, the cylinder 5 has a.recess 27 therein for receiving this projcction when the cylindtu' 5 hasbeen rotated intothe position shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 shows the keyslot as being large enough for the insertion oi a key that will preventthe projection from being rcceivcd in the recess 27 so long as the keyremains in the look. This permits the key to be turned from locked tounlocked position and back to locked position as nianytimes as desired.In the locks now on the market, a. turning of the key will release thecoin, even though the key is not removed from the lock, and then asubsequentturning of the key into unlocked position will prevent the keyfrom again being. turned into locked position. unless another coin isinserted in the lock. Many persons checking packages, seeing the lockerdoors closed, do not know whether the doors are locked or unlocked, andof course assume that the doors are locked.- They thcn drop the coin inthe slot, turn the-key to apparently unlock the door, and find outinstead that they have locked the door. It is now necessary torthe doorto be unlockcd, and after doing so. the mechanism is prcvented fromagain being moved into locked position, unless another coin is put inthe machine. ith thespccial construction just described. I overcome thisdismlvantagrc, and, as heretofore stated. permit the lock to be lockedand unlocked as many times as desired, so long as the key remains in thelock.

As soon as the key is removed "from thc lock. the projection 2(i'isrcccivcd in the recess 27 and the lclvcr 12 will now swing into the fullline position shown in Figurc 2. The uppcr end ZSofthe lcvc'r 12 willswing to cloro ihc coin entrance 29. see Figure (3. This lnovcment isaccomplishcd by the spring ll. The swinging of the lcvcr 12 will alsoremove tho projection23 from beneath the coin 31. and will pcrmit thecoin to pass on through the coin passageway 24.

The lock carries an indicating mechanism 31 and the arm 32 of thismechanism is connected to the lever 12 by means of a link 33.

The link 38 advances the indicator one digit when the key is removedfrom the lock. Tlic opening otthe lock actuatcs the arm 6. the

quadrant 10. the pinion. 11. and the lcvcr 12 for moving these partsback into the posi-" portion 3 and is in electrical connection with alight A wire 36 leads from the light and is in electrical connectionwith a source of current. When therefore the lock is open. current willflow through the wire 36 to the light 35, thence to the arm through 32through the medium of the flexible terminal 34. The arm 32 is inelectrical connection with the electrical source of current. The lightis now energized and will remain so until the lock is again actuated. Alens 37 is disposed in front of the light and is carried by the coverplate 4.

Due to the position of the floating spring 14, the action of the springbrings the forces exerted by the arm 6 and the stop member fill 20against one another The stop member 20 is moved back into operativeposition by the lever 12 which engages with the lug 19. The left handlug 38 in Figure 1 contacts with the coin and prevents the movement ofthe stop member 20, whereby the parts may be moved into locked position.It should be noted at this point that the bolt 7 moves in front of thedoor 1, see Figure 5, when looking the door.

In Figures 6 and 7, I show a novel means for securing the lock casingsin the cabinets. The front wall indicated by the letter m, see Figures 6and 8, has openings 39 therein for receiving the lock casings. Theopenings are shorter in length than the length of the lock casings. InFigure 2, I show how the lock casing is provided with a reduced portion40 at the top thereof and with a second reduced portion 41 at the bottomthereof, the reduced portion 40 being longer than the reduced portion41. In inserting the lock casing through the opening, the casing istilted with respect to the cabinet and then the reduced portion 40 ismoved through the opening 39, and then upwardly until the shoulder 42 ofthe casing abuts the upper edge of the opening 39. The lock casing maynow be swung into a vertical position, and this will swing the portion41. past the lower edge 43 of the opening. The lock casing is nowlowered until the shoulder 44 of the casing abuts the edge The lock isnow disposed in the position shown in Figure 6, and it will be notedfrom this Figure that the portion 40 still engages with the wall as, andthis, together with the portion 41, prevents the removal of the lockcasing from the cabinet.

In Figure 7 I show a strap 45 for locking all of the casings in thecabinet. The strap carries studs 46, and these studs bear against thetops'of the lock casing, see Figure 6, and

when thestrap 45 isprevented from move ment, the studs will prevent theremoval of the lock casings from the cabinet. The upper end of the strap45 is passed through a lock 47. This lock maybe opened or closed bymeans of a key, and, when locked will prevent the movement of the strap45, thus locking the lock casings in place. If a key of one of the lockcasings should be lost,

the strap 45 could be released to permit the removal of the lock casingand the substitution of a new one.

Deflector plates 48 are disposed beneath each lock casing and guide thecoins away from the lock casings disposed directly be neath. The coinswill drop into a coin box 49 where they may be removed at any time.

I claim:

1. A device of the type described comprising a body portion having acoin passageway therein, a key-actuated cylinder, means for stopping themovement of said cylinder when no coin is inserted in the device, andmeans 0 eratively connecting said cylinder with sai stop means forcausing said stop to engage said cylinder when said cylinder is turnedwithout inserting a coin, said connecting means being arranged to closethe coin entrance when the key has been removed.

2. A device of the type described comprising a body portion having acoin passageway therein, a keyactuated cylinder, means for stopping themovement of said cylinder when no coin is inserted in the device, meansoperatively connecting said cylinder with said stop means for causinsaid stop to engage said cylinder when sald cylinder is turned withoutinserting a coin, said connecting means being arranged to close the coinentrance when the key has been removed, an indicator carried by saidbody portion, and means operatively connecting said indicator with saidconnecting means.

3. A device of the type described comprising a body portion having acoin passageway therein, a key-controlled cylinder having a recesstherein, a closure for said coin passageway adapted to be actuated bythe movement of said cylinder, said closure havin a rojection normallybearing against the cy 'n'c er and being receivable in said recess, saidprojection. engaging with the key in said cylinder for preventingmovement of said closure into operative position, and yielding means formoving said closure into operative posit-ion when said hey is removedfrom said cylinder.

4. A device of the type described compris :ing a body portion having acoin passageway therein, a key-controlled cylinder, a stop member fornormally preventing the actuation of said cylinder when no coin has beeninserted, and means operatively connecting said cylinder with Said stopmember Whereby the "coin; wilhprevent th e movement- 5 I ofithe :stopmember, thus permitting the cylinderwto heaetnatede 5L Aedevice ,of 'thetypeadeseribed comprisingf'a body portion havingja coin vpassage- Way-v.therein-', .a key e0ntr0l1ed cylinder, a metopzmemberrforssaid cylinderfor preventingithesturningvof: said cylinder when no commas-beeninserted, a lever for moving said-st0p member, anarm connected to saidcylinder for actuating theloekingholt, said arm bearingnagainst saidstop member, and spring meansbearing against said leverandlbeinggpperatively connected to said arm to exert agreater-force uponsaid arm than upon said stop-.qnember, whereby said stop member islprevented from movement into operative posit-ion bvsaid arm.

VIfJIJI-ABI J. DOBK IN.

